The common comforts of an American life are nearly immeasurable. Gratitude for everyday things means imagining life in their absence. For some it doesn’t take much imagination, only memory of the days before now. Nothing exists without the small, and nothing is too small to appreciate.
Posted in home, hope, human contact, hunger, live, love, thanksgiving, think, time, trust | Leave a Comment »
I’ve been reading from a copy of Putnam’s Handbook of Expression: For the Enrichment of Conversation, Writing, and Public Speaking complied by Edwin Halmin Carr (1915). It’s a delightful read. If only the binding were in better condition.
Some of the expressions in the book are still in prominent use. Many are not. Here are some forgotten expressions that caught my attention:
“The spawning place of crime, ignorance, and debauchery”
“Swifter than a weaver’s shuttle”
“I am the lonely slave of an oft-wandering mind”
“As tedious as a twice-told tale”
“As obsolete as croquet”
“As bald as a cannon-ball”
“As idle as a painted ship on a painted ocean”
“I warm to a man with gall in his liver”
“He is above the meanness of tale-bearing”
“He is a perpetual surprise even to those who know him best”
“I trust you will repeat this experience at some future date”
“I must apologize for my stupidity”
“Don’t let me detain you for doubtless you have engagements”
“The uncertainty is irritating”
“I know the nicest little secret”
“If I rightly remember”
“Don’t give way to sure fancy”
“Certain unforeseen emergencies arose to hinder me”
“I regard him as being the cleverest man of my acquaintance”
“I feel that I have no more backbone than a jellyfish”
“As burning as the thirst of the fever-stricken”
“This merits reflection”
“In perpetual protest”
“The matter is not past mending”
“An asset of incomparable value”
“A heart alive to all the beauties of nature”
“I am exceedingly sorry that your request comes to me at a time when I am so pressed by my own affairs, that I cannot, with any convenience, comply with it”
And my favorite:
“I always thought the hour struck sooner in your home than anywhere else”
Posted in book, books, expression, History, old, phrase, read, Reading List, Training, wise, Word, words, writing | 1 Comment »
Lonesome Road by Cory Voglesonger
Years ago as my grandparents were driving through the mountains of North Georgia, my grandfather at the wheel and my grandmother at his side, my grandfather made a series of wrong turns before he realized he was lost. After trying several different routes he was not only unable to determine where they were headed, but he was eventually unable to get back to where they had been.
After all attempts had been exhausted he turned and said, “We’re lost.” My grandmother replied, “I’m not lost.” “What do you mean you’re not lost?” he asked. She said, “As long as I’m with you I’m not lost.”
The recognition that being together means never being lost is a profound truth. It was a characteristic of their marriage of over sixty years. Location didn’t matter. Time didn’t matter. Being together, side by side, patient with each other, and knowing that those we travel with are far more important than when or how we reach our destination was what mattered.
After making a few course corrections they eventually found their way back to familiar roads. Throughout the rest of their lives together they continued to travel across the back roads of Georgia with their children, grandchildren, and other family members, occasionally getting turned around but never lost. Their travels are a metaphor for their life together.
Are we truly lost when those who matter to us most are close by? My grandmother didn’t think so. Her nine little words, “As long as I’m with you I’m not lost”, speak volumes. They are also a reminder that kind words, spoken well, can last forever.
Posted in Atlanta, be, Behavior, believe, better, car, change, charity, children, communicate, create, Criticism, Dreams, Faith, Family, fear, Georgia, home, human contact, identity, Life, live, lost, love, maps, mountain, parents, road, share, social, Story Telling, talk, time, unity, wait | Leave a Comment »
Remember that great work place tool called the telephone? You know, that thing with the the handle and buttons you speak into? Email is a wonderful tool and Instant Messaging (IM) is also a nice way to communicate, yet there is something about actually speaking directly to another person that is often superior.
Yes, IM can be a great way to “multi-task” when you are on an endless conference call. Email is wonderful for documenting expectations and commitments as well as sharing data.
Still, how many times have you found yourself responding to a question via Email or IM that you could have answered over the phone in a fraction of the time you spent typing, waiting for a reply, typing, waiting, etc?
Never forget the speed and clarity of personal voice.
Posted in Adult Learning, Atlanta, audio, change, communicate, dial, hear, human contact, identity, listen, off line, organization, phone, push, speech, talk, Tech, technology, telephone, think, time, Training, voice, wait | Leave a Comment »
It has been 353 days since my last post. One day I will blog again. But not today.
Posted in absenteeism, believe, blog, blogging, Blogroll, blogs, boy, break, choice, groundhog, hat, health, intermission, off line, patience, sabbatical, time, timing, wait | Leave a Comment »
The American Cancer Society has branded its self, in part, as “The Official Sponsor of Birthdays.” Here at the National Home Office in Atlanta, Georgia we’ve known this was coming since December 2008 and many of us have anxiously awaited this launch with sealed lips. A new website, morebirthdays.com, went live yesterday and a few new ads were uploaded to YouTube.
So what is all of this about? For some people birthdays are a struggle. I have a family member who has been celebrating her 39th birthday for at least 15 years. Despite the challenges of aging, as we morph into something far different than a twenty year old body, I hope we can all agree that birthdays are a good thing. A very good thing. A birthday means you’re here. This may appear trivial, it’s no revelation, and I’m not saying anything new. What is important to know is that there is an organization that exists to ensure that you and I and everyone else continue to live healthily lives year after year.
Our vision is a world free of cancer. I’ve never worked for an organization that is as focused and driven to fulfill its mission than the American Cancer Society. From the epidemiologist here in Atlanta to our National Cancer Information Center in Austin, Texas the commitment to help people stay well and get well, by finding cures and fighting back is at the heart of everything we do. The same can be said for the volunteers and employees I’ve worked with across the nation. Their commitment is tangible.
I have found no other organization with the resources, knowledge, and skill that can compare to the American Cancer Society in this field of work. As a fully entrenched social networker I’ve been please to see that the Society has kept up with the new media of a web 2.0 world. We’ve integrated ourselves with Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Second Life and we will continue to reach out where ever people are to share our resources and our message of hope.
Our sister organization The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in Washington, D.C. has been successful working with lawmakers to fight against Big Tobacco in the United States. It was no coincidence that in his February 24, 2009 address to Congress President Obama called for health care reform to include a “new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American by seeking a cure for cancer in our time” (April is National Cancer Control Month, by the way).
Nor is it a coincidence that a Bill was passed by the US House of Representatives granting the “Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products”. These things don’t happen without the voice and support of the people, and many organizations are coming together to ensure that our voice, your voice, is heard.
Living a life free of cancer is something for everyone to celebrate. Eleven million cancer survivors are celebrating birthdays because of our progress. Countless others have avoided cancer for the same reasons. As the old saying goes “knowledge is power.” Knowing how to get well and stay well is priceless.
So… Now that my lunch hour is coming to an end, it’s time for me to get back to work.
Posted in 2.0, ads, advertising, Atlanta, awareness, Behavior, believe, better, birthday, brand, cancer, charity, choice, cure, donate, Dream, Education, epidemiology, facebook, Family, fight, free, giving, habits, happy, health, hope, Humanitarian, joy, learning, live, Marketing, media, MySpace, NGO, obama, Online, organization, Philanthropy, prevention, reason, reform, Resources, service, share, smoking, social, survivors, time, Training, trust | 1 Comment »
In 1996 I attended a training course presented by Franklin Quest (Now FranklinCovey) called “Presentation Advantage.” In addition to the course workbook, the handouts included a Presentation Review form that is no longer available. The form was designed to guide the reviewer in rating the presenter’s over all design and delivery in 20 categories.
With FranklinCovey’s permission I have recreated a modified version of the form, attributed the copyright to Franklin Quest, and made it available for download in two formats. While this version of the form is free, if the current course is anything like the one I attended in 96′, I highly recommend attending.
When using this form both the presenter and reviewer must be committed to accepting the brutal facts. A large portion of the form could be used by music reviewers when rating concerts or by musicians unfamiliar with the importance of on stage delivery. Everyone can improve when they are open to outside feedback.
However you choose to use this form, I wish you the best in improving your act.
Posted in assessment, awareness, better, Covey, design, evaluation, free, job, learning, lectern, listen, music, Presentations, public speaking, Resources, share, sing, speech, stress, talent, Teaching, test, Training, trust | 2 Comments »
|
